Direct current railway system



Nov. 25,. 1930.

u. KLOSS 1,782,537

DIRECT CURRENT RAILWAY SYSTEM Filed April 5, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 J I i Juan/0r,

U/r/ch K/oss Nov. 25, 1930.

u. KLoss 1,782,537 DIRECT CURRENT RAILWAY SYSTEM I Filed April 5, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet. 2

rfiaf Jme/v/a/v Ulric/7 /(/0s:;

Af/Zrney Patented Nov. 25, 1930 curse stares PATENT orster ULRICH KLOSS, OF BERLIN, GERMANY DIRECT CURRENT RAILWAY SYSTEM Application filed April 5,

This invention relates to electric railway systems.

the older patent, the invention is applicable to all systems in w iich a vehicle is propelled. electrically over ralls, and in which the track,

as regards the supply of current, is divided into zones or sections, which are each supplied with current separately, and accordingly, as before, the term railway 1s em ployed in its broader sense to cover all systems of this kind, including for example tramway systems, although for better comprehension the invention is described with reference to a railway in its usually accepted meaning.

According to my prior Patent No. 1,722 5812 (application Ser. No; 263,?29), the s. or zones are disconnected either on the moving train or from the block SeCtlQiiS by the actuation of a device provided on the train or at the block sections respectively, so that the substation is compelled to supply intermittent D. C. in the feed circuit, in order in this manner, by the use of a special transformer and a time relay, to actuate one or more automatic devices along the track,

The intermittent D. C., according to the prior patent, is supplied through the medimn of a make and break device provided on the train or at the block sections, this make and break device consisting in simple manner of corn tact producing elements.

Now under certain circumstances it is necessary to furnish the current to be interrupted with such strength or with such an interruption periodicity that owing to spark or arc formation the make and break device 15 strongly liable to be affected in detrimental manner.

I have also discovered that a further disadvantage in the method according to my said prior patent resides in the fact that 7 ectlons.

1829, Serial No. 352,771, and in Germany February 15, 1929.

D. C. voltage as generated by rectifiers of the kind usually in use at the present time discloses an irregular pulsation or wave, that is to say, when employing a plurality of rectifiers, there is no synchronization in the operation thereof, so that in the feed circuit, which is common to all rectifiers employed, there is produce 1 a certain fluctuation of voltage, which may cause the releasing mechanism to respond when not desired.

It is the object of the present invention to overcome the disadvantages referred to, and this is accomplished by employing in place of the mechanical make and break device referred to in my prior patent an ionic valve, the valve action of which as regards its influence on the cathode or the grid is well known. The desired action may be attained, for example by periodically completing and breaking the heating circuit of the cathode. The valve then allows current to flow in cadence from the travelling lead of the track to the rail return lead. The advantage arising from this system of connection resides in the fact that the heating current is much smaller than the interrupted current. i

In an alternative form of embodiment it is possible, for example, to employ a grid tube, the grid of which is charged periodically positively or negatively by means of A. (l, or the grid potential of which is periodically varied in relation to the cathode.

This form of embodiment has the advantage that no mechanical make and break devices are required. Consequently any desired periodicity of interruption is possible.

The use of tubes as interrupting elements furthermore allows the interrupting and res leasing device to be tuned to any particular periodicity as desired, so that in this manner it is possible to avoid the disturbing range of the harmonic vibration of the rectifiers, and by using different tuning to establish connection with certain stations only. It is moreover then also possible to communicate other intelligence beyond the disconnection.

This arrangement may also be used in conjunction with A. C. systems. The substation in this case supplies intermittent A. C., and a superposing of the intermittent impulses with the A. C. fundamental wave occurs.

In order to allow of better filtering of the fundamental wave (this may be direct voltage with and without harmonic vibrations or alternate voltage) vof the feeding station from the interrupting wave utilized for re leasing purposes, it is preferable to employ the releasing transformer, which in my prior patent is connected across the feed line of the sub-station and constitutes a pure through transformer, in shunt with a choker. The shunt circuit by reason of its nature (proper selection of capacity and inductance) then allowsmerely the interrupting impulses of higher frequency to pass, which in the tuned or non-tuned circuits cause the release of the automatic devices, or transmit other intelligence to the station, while the low-frequency vibrations of the fundamental wave of the station pass through the'choker.

The'use of a tube as interrupting element finally has the advantage that the" same allowsat themost passage of the saturation current. A limiting resistance as in the case of a mechanical make and break device is which not required. 7 7 V lil' hen the automaticdevice along the track is released, the connecting COll of the automatic 'device is simultaneously connected at the substation to the travelling lead and the rail return lead. The driver of the train is then in a position to supplyby the use of a safety connection voltage for reconnection purposes to thethus directly connected con- 1 nection coil of the automatic device from the battery of the locomotive. V I

The invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawing, in

Fig. 1 is a diagram of connections at the sub-station with a tube interrupter on the train. V l n Fig. 2 is a modification of. the tube interrupter on the train.

Fig. 3 is the diagram of connections for a tubeinterrupter which is provided 'on the train and is capable of being tuned.

Fig. 4 is a corresponding dlagram for the sub-station. 7

Fig. 5is the diagram of a special form of embodiment at the sub-station.

Referring now to Fig. 1, the sub-station is designated by the referencecharacter A, while B represents a moving train. At the sub-station 1 is the dynamo or converter, which serves to feed the current rail 4 through the. medium of the automatic'devices 2 and thetrack automatic devices The other pole of the dynamo is connected via the collecting bar 5 to the travelling rail 6; Between the track automatic device 3 and the contact rail 4 is the through transformer havin the primary winding 7 and the secondary winding 8. The secondary winding is connected with a time relay 9, which serves for closing the two contacts 10 and 11, in such manner that along the lead 12 the current proceeding from the local battery 14 is able to passvia the disc drop indicator board 13' to the releasing coil 15 of the track automatic device 3. The core 16 of the coil is connected in such manner with the track automatic devices that upon completing thecircuit over the contacts 10, 11 the track automatic device is actuatedby the battery 14 and the current is cut off from the contact rail. lnplace of the make and break device described in my prior Patent No. 1,722,582 (application Ser. No. 263,729)

I employ in accordance with the present invention a device provided on the train or vehicle B or at a block section, which device consists of anelectron discharge tube 17 having an anode 18 and a hot cathode 19 fed by the heating battery 20: The heating cir- Y cuit includes a make and break device 21, wh ch maybe actuated in such manner by is connected at 2 1 with the travelling rail 6. By alternately closing and breaking the heating circuit for the cathode 19 the electron current fiowing between anode and cathode will be broken and closed continuously, so that these current impulses are caused to act in the transformer 7, 8 and operate the time relay 9, actuating the track automatic devices 3 over the contacts 10, 11 via the releasing coil '15. The make and break device 21 is subject to only very slight load under current in accordance with the low heating current for the hot cathode19.

A modified form of embodiment of the interrupter is illustrated in Fig. 2. The electron discharge tube 17 contains in addition to the anode 18 and the hot cathode 19 a grid 25. An alternate voltage impressed upon this grid by-means of'an A. C. generator 26, so that an interruption of the electron current occurs in conformity with the periodicity of the alternate current,this causing 'actuation'of the trackautomatic devices as in the caseof the embodiment described above; In place of an A. 0. generator 26 1t is also possible to employ any'othe'r device supplying the grid with continuously varysage at the most of saturation current. The connection impulse of the device is sufiicient to start the secondarily connected oscillatory circuit, which then acts in selective cadence on the grid and thus causes the shortcircuiting periodicity to be harmonized.

At the sub-station there is, as shown in Fig. 4, a corresponding releasing device, which serves for actuation of the releasing relay for the track automatic device. The said releasing device includes a high frequency transformer, consisting of the primary coil 28 and the secondary coil 29. The primary coil 28 is situated directly in the connection between the collector bar and the travelling lead. The condenser 30 serves for tuning purposes with the use of an electron tube 81, the grid potential of which is acted upon by the shortcircuiting periodicity produced on the train. It is thus possible on the train to disconnect as desired a certain sub-station without, afiiectin g the others.

Fig. 5 shows a somewhat modified form of embodiment of Fig. 4. In lieu of the high frequency transformer, which may have certain disadvantages, there is provided in the connection line between travelling lead and collector bar a choker 33. Connected to this choker, through the medium of a condenser 34, is the primary coil 35 of a high frequency transformer, the secondary coil 29 of which is connected with the remaining parts of the device in the manner described in the case Fig. 4.

It will be understood that no restriction is made to the specific forms of embodiment shown. and that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

hat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An apparatus for disconnecting the feed.

circuit of track zones of direct current railways from a moving train or block section ,at a distance, comprising an automatic switching device in said teed circuit, a control circuit reactively coupled to said feed circuit, a local circuit closed by said control circuit and electro-magnetically actuating said automatic switchingdevice, and electronic tube means making and breaking the feed circuit thereby indirectly causing said automatic switching device to open.

2. An apparatus for disconnecting the feed circuit of track zones of direct current railways from a moving train or block section at a distance, comprising an automatic switching device in said feed circuit, a control circuit reactively coupled to said feed circuit electro-magnetically actuating, said auto matic switching device, a time relay connected in said control circuit and mechanically closing said local circuit, electronic tube means in said feed circuit and means interrupting the flow of electrons in said electronic tube means.

8. An apparatusi'or disconnecting the feed circuit of track zones for direct current railways from a moving train or block section at distance, comprising an automatic switching device in said feed circuit, a control circuit reactively coupled to said feed circuit, a local circuit electro-magnetically actuating said automatic switching device, a time relay connected in said control circuit and mechanically closing said local circuit, electronic tube means in said teed circuit, a cathode and anode in said electronic tube means, a heating circuit for said cathode and mechanical means for periodically interrupting said heating circuit.

4. An apparatus for disconnecting the feed circuit of track zones of direct current railways from a moving train or block sec tion at a distance, comprising an automatic switching device in said teed circuit, a control circuit reactively coupled to saidieed circuit, a local circuit electro-magnetically actuating said automatic switching device, a time relay connected in said control circuit and mechanically closing said local'circuit, electronictube means in said feed circuit, a cathode, anode and grid in said electronic tube means and electrical means impressing an alternating voltage on said grid.

5. An apparatus for disconnecting the feed circuit of track zones or" direct current railways from a moving train or block section at a distance, comprising an automatic switching device in said teed circuit, a control circuit reactively coupled to said feed circuit, a local circuit electro-magnetically actuating said automatic switching device, a time relay connected in said control circuit and mechanically closing said local circuit, electronic tube means in said teed circuit, a grid in said electronic tube means and an oscillating tuned circuit inductively coupled to said feed circuit and impressing alternating voltage on said grid.

6. An apparatus for disconnecting the feed circuit of track zones of direct current railways from a moving train or block section at a distance, comprising an automatic switching device in said teed circuit, a tuned oscillating control circuit reactively coupled to said feed circuit, a local circuit electromagnetically actuating said atomatic switching device, a time relay connected in said control circuit and mechanically closing said local circuit, electronic tube means in said feed circuit and means interrupting the flow of electrons in said electronic tube means at the tuned frequency of said tuned oscillating control circuit causing operation of said automatic switching device.

7 An apparatus for disconnecting the feed circult of track zones of direct current ,railways from a moving train or block section at a distance, comprlsmg anautomatic I switching device in said feed circuit, a tuned oscillating control circuit reactively coupled to said feedcircuit comprising atuned oscillating circuit, an anode, cathode and grid, said grid being connected to'said tuned oscillating circuit and a time relay connected to said anode and cathode, a local circuit electro-magnetically actuating said automatlc sWltch device and closed by sald time relay, electronlc tube means in said feed circuit, a grid in said electronic tube means and an oscillating tuned circuit inductively coupled to said feed circuit and 1mpressmg alternating voltage on said grid.

8. An apparatus 'accordmg to claim 6 wherein the reactlvecoupling of said control and feed circuits comprises a chokecoil in said feed circuit, ahigh frequency transformer having the primary thereof conneetedthrough a capacitance across said choke coil, the secondary of said transformer be ing in said control circuit. V 9. Apparatus for disconnecting a' particular feed circuit of-tr ack zones of direct current railways from a moving train or block section at a distance, comprising a' plurality of automatic switching devices in each feeding circuit, a plurality of tuned oscillating control circuits of definite and different tuned frequencies reactively coupled to each feed circuit, local circuits electromagnetically actuating, each automatic switching device, time relays connected in said control circuits and mechanically closing each local circuit, electronic'tube means 7 in each feeding circuit-and means interrup 'jeu ing the flow of electrons ineachfelcctronic 1 tube means at the tuned frequency of the particular control circuit to be energized and tOlSOlttB a particular track zone.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature. 7 p

' ULRICH IOU 

